Why We Run: A Natural History

As a biology and fitness nerd, this book blends many aspects of physiology into digestible anecdotes of insightful information. This is my second time reading this book and I absolutely love the approach and story telling Bernd presents us with. Highly recommend.

This book was thoroughly enjoyable and what I expected/hoped as opposed to the Bicycle Diaries. The author's understanding of biology and the biology of running was fascinating. The fact that this guy did not just run marathons but ultramarathons was just sick. That is about 62.3 miles to the rest of us. The tale flowed nicely. At times, the writing felt awkward but this generally occurred during the science explanations and I can only surmise that the editor might have had a hand in this. I think it was a function of editing because when the author talked of his youth, growing up, and races, the writing was tight and had a good flow. I am still not sure if this book inspired me though. Why? He might as well as described how he flies as that is about as likely for me to do as run an ultra. I did like his narrative when he focused on his feelings while running and the most fascinating aspect is there is a scientific reason behind `the wall' that most distance runners hit. The only thing that I could not fathom is that since he resides in the northeast of the U.S.A., he has to run in the winter to maintain his training. How does he run in the cold? For some of us, our lungs collapse down into little raisins when it gets cold and even after attempting it for several weeks, there is no work around. This is something for which I would have liked to have a science based solution. Lastly, the book explored his many theories on running preparation and diet and provided scientific theories for just about everything he consumed. It was nice to not hear pseudo science but the real deal from this amazing athlete.

It is a fascinating read, though it defies any conventional categorization. Reminiscent of a stream of consciousness, part autobiography, part a collection of scientific insights into human and animal physiology, part a runner's career story, part a commentary on the state of running as a hobby and as a professional pursuit. A ramble on anything running and anything physiology. A fun ride full of little surprises and endlessly curious cul-de-sacs. A worthy pick for any runner, I can reccomend it especially to runners for the winter off-season when you keep warn with spiced wine and a blazing hearth.

This book was published in 2001, 20 years after the author ran in the 100 kilometer ultramarathon race in Chicago at the age of 41. You can guess the outcome :) This is one of those rare books where the writing gets better towards the end, unlike the deadline rush or inspiration vacuum that afflicts the quality of too many books in the last chapters. The early part of the book is devoted to biological treatises on various animals and examples of extreme adaptations (e.g., the speed of the antelope, the distance capacity of the camel without water, the extreme distances of certain bird migration patterns). This stuff reads very academically (the author is a PhD biologist) and won't appeal to all readers, but is interesting in that you see how it fuels the author's thinking about his own training preparations later in the book. The last few chapters are simply superb. It is the story of the author's training and experimentation with energy management of fats and carbohydrates during training, his stream of consciousness during the race itself, and of course the race outcome. Imagine running 62 miles in less than 7 hours! At the age of 41. Some of the author's philosophy of running and of life itself emerges as well, and you get a sense of an unassuming ego that is so pleasant in today's fist-pumping narcissistic age.

Hienrich takes a very unique approach here in that his approach is based on his deep background as a biologist and a runner. Some have criticized the science he uses or claim that the book is too much biology and not enough running. You really need to take this book as a whole and notice that this book was written twenty years after his remarkable 100k record setting race in the early 80s. He makes unique biological comparisons to insects, mammals, amphibians, and historical man in regard to endurance and physical performance. His final retelling of his big race preparation and the race itself is honestly gripping, detailed, and inspiring at once. I had some trouble making it through some parts of this book as the biological exploration of camels, antelopes, and insects seemed to drag on for a while; but we see those comparisons brought back up at the end of the book in a thoughtful and creative way that make the last chapter very artful and the entire book well worth your time.

What do you get when you mix an evolutionary field biologist and a distance runner? Amazing insights, unparalleled research applications, and a unique set of personal stories which serve as an illustrative backdrop. The author's unique life experiences and academic knowledge were allowed to percolate for a decade or two before he put the story to paper. Not only is the story of "the race" compelling, but the opportunity to travel along with a great mind weaving knowledge and application together into becoming a smarter runner was a delight. (I learned a lot of science along the way as well; plus, I got an appreciation of evolutionary biology as a useful scientific paradigm. A pretty diverse set of gleanings from a book on running.) ;-)

I saw this book in an airport and decided to check to see if it was available as a Kindle Version. It was and I ordered it. I got halfway through the book when I realized, it really hasn't said anything about, "Why we Run". It is mainly a story about the author and his life, which includes running. I was hoping it would be more scientific than just another story about a guy who likes to run and how much of it he did as a kid and into adulthood. It also throws in a reference here and there to insects and animals and how they are designed for endurance. Oh yeh, and how the title started out as something different until he got harassed enough to change it. I have set it aside until I have one of those rainy days where I am bored and have nothing else more exciting to read.

This was a different type of book about running. I have fun for over forty years and have read hundreds of books about running and runners, but none like this book. As I have matured as a runner, I have become more interested in the physiology of running, rather than psychology. The author describes the science behind the birds migratory flights and animals of the plains hunting expeditions in terms I could relate to the physiology of my running; though their great feats of endurance and speed far exceed that of humans! A well written, easy to understand book about why we run from a refreshing perspective.